Fence-gate.



s. R. LEONARD.

mm GATE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 22, 1908.

963,447. Patented J u1 y5,191 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN R. LEONARD, 0F ONEIDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ONEIDA COMMUNITY, LIMITED, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FENCE-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1908.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Serial No. 439,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN R. LEONARD, of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence Gates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fence gates and is particularly useful as a farm gate for private drive ways,

.at railroad cross-overs and at other places where it may be desired to provide a movable section of the fence to afford a temporary passage therethrough.

My main object is to provide a flexible gate or movable fence section composed of vertical end bars and connected by a series of chains disposed one above the other which in turn are tied together at intervals by vertical chains, the horizontal chains being threaded through certain links of the vertical chains to prevent undue sagging of the intermediate portions of said horizontal chains.

The object in constructing the gate of intersecting chains is to enable such gate as an article of manufacture to be readily made up of any length or height and rolledor folded into compact form for storage or transportation.

Another object is to provide a simple means for tying the horizontal and vertical chains at their intersections to prevent their undue relative movement. v

A further obj ect is to enable the gate to be easily and quickly attached to suitable gate posts by permanently connecting one of the upright end bars to one of the posts and providing the other post with hook-shaped anchors with which the other upright bars may be readily engaged and disengaged.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a fence showing the gate posts and my improved gate as connected thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view partly broken away, taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the intersecting portion of one of the bars and one of the upright chains showing the manner of threadin the horizontal chain through one of the links of the upright chain and also showing the tie pieces connecting said chains at the intersection to prevent their undue relative movement. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the lower end of the tubular'end bar showing the anchorage for one of the horizontal chains and also showing one of the retaining hooks for the lower end of the upright bar. Fig. 5 is a modified view showing the cross section of a portion of the upright showing how the plate 4 is secured.

In order to clearly demonstrate the practicability of my invention, I have shown a portion of a wire fence 1- as provided with a suitable gate opening and upright end posts 2 and 3 determining the width of the gate opening.

My improved gate comprises essentially opposite upright end bars 4:* and '-5-, horizontal parallel chains --6 and 7 and vertical parallel chains .8-. i The upright bar itis preferably made of heavy sheet metal as steel of a suitable height corresponding to the height of the fence and is permanently fastened by suitable means as bolts -9- to the upright post 2 and for this purpose is provided with a series of apertures -10 disposed equi-distant apart one above the other for receiving the fastening members 9 which may be eye bolts as shown in the drawings or the bar 4 may be permanently secured to one side of the post by ordinary screws or bolts 9- as shown in Fig. 5, said bar 4- being provided with additional apertures 11 disposed one above the other near its opposite edge for the reception of the adjacent links of the horizontal chains 6 and 7 which are permanently fastened to the bar 4l. The apertures -11 are in this instance disposed in the same horizontal plane as alternate apertures -10- so that the tension of the horizontal chains is in direct alinement with alternate bolts -9 whereby the gate may be tightened under high tension without liability of buckling or bending the upright end bar -4-. The opposite upright end bar 5- preferably consist-s of a metal tube such as a pipe section of somewhat greater vertical heightthan the bar so as to afford a convenient handle at the top thereof and is provided at regular predetermined intervals with a series of eyes or bolt anchors -12 disposed in the same plane as and connected to the end links of the horizontal chains the barbein then brought into'engagement t 'lhis tubular: upright end bar 5 is, therefore, permanently secured to theends of thehorizontal chains 6 and 7 which are of just sufficient length to bring the end.

bar 5 in close proximityeto the inner side-of the-upright post -3 when the horizontalchains are drawn up tightly, said end bar 5+ being detachably engaged with a seriesiof hoolrshaped anchors l3" which" are' pro id d with threaded shanks screwed into the pest 3'fand "ti-relocated at suitableinterval'sone above thefother to en agethe inner' facesfof the end bar 5 betvveen the chainanchors +12 Each of these anehorbolts113isprovided with a1 lateral offset of suflicient projection to reeeive'and retain a portion "of the upright bar 5,', the oifset l4%of the lower anchor bolt l3 being shown in Figs. 1" and l. as disposedi n an upright position and entering the lower end ofthe'tubularend bar""5 "andconstitutes a fulcruI-ri forthe endfbar "-5" when drawing ithegate up "tight,)theremaining hooks having their ofisets disposed in the horizontal positions as shown in Figs. 1 andt leaving a sufficient space between theoftset and adjacent side of the post 3 to receive the'end bar 5.

In placing the gate in operativeposition, the end bar attached in the manner described 7 tov the post and '1' is then stretched. out toward the post by means of thebar 5, the lowerfend of which is brought into interlocking engagement with the lower anchor bol-t or'fulcrum after which the operator engaging the upper endor handle of the tubular bar '-5-+, uses. the latter as a lever for drawing -'the*horizontal chainsv of the gate" up tight,

with the'o sets of the upper bolt anchors 'l j,which offsets arevde fiected slightly toward the post as best seen in Fig. 2, to" retain the bar.5 in operative position and'at the'same time leaving an open space between the offsets and posts through which the bar '51 may be moved to disengage or detach from its anchor bolts -13.

.Whe-n'it is 'desired to open the gate it is simply necessary to pull the upper end of the bar laterally out of engagement with the offset portionsof' theupper hooks andto'then lift saidbar' out of engagenlijent olt' whereupon the bar f-5 with the ga'te chains -attached theretofmay becarwith'j the i ofi'se-t of the lower anchor rieditoward the post for to. one side thereof toleave' a clear'opening between the posts 2%-and f 3+-.when it is desired to drive ior'pass through said' opening after whichf'the gate maybe closed in the manner previously described. j. e The'links'of'the upperchain -6- are I somewhat: larger than those of the iremain position when closed.

inghorizontal cliains 7 as to give I greater strength tothe gate when" closed andto support, the interven n cross chains and lower horizontal chains. These cross chains are suspended vertically at regular intervals from the upper horizontal chain -6 andas best seen in Fig. 3, thehori zontal chains i are threaded through intersecting links of the vertical chains ''8', the intersecting links being tied together by suitable rins or additionallinks 16 alsojsliown in l ig'. 8 to 'prvent undue sagging ofthe intermediate portions of the horizontal chains and "also'toprevent undue movement of theintersecting chains relatively to' each other. "These "tie links -16 surround "or embrace; one side of each of the intersecting 'li'nks of the horizontal cross chain'sfandwhil'e they "allow a certain flexibility at the intersection of said" ehaius to prevent kinking orknottingef the links,

they serve toprevent sag ing of the} intermediate portlens of thelienzontal chains and also "keep intersecting portions of "both the horizontal and [cross inapproximately' fixed relation-"to f each" other so that the entire gate In y be rolled and folded andun folded without "liability in ng I 5 kn'otting.

In some" instances it may" be j desirable toprovide j suitable means for tightening the gate whenmountedto an operative position upon 'the postsj, and-"for this purpose I have; provided a lever '20'whichis fulorumed at 21 to one of the anchor bolts and is adapted to 'be' brought into engagement with the upright bar--5 to draw adjacent end ofthe gate toward the post 3 when the otherend' is fastened to the post in" anyisuitable manner. One or more of these levers 20 may be emplayed as may be" desired.

"What I claim is:

" lQThe combination with gateposts; of a flexible gate havingfa hinged connection with one of the posts, and means carried by the other post for retaining the gate in closed position, said meanscolnprisin one or more permanently positioned hookshaped members, each member having the axis'of its hooktopening in parallelism" with the axis of the post, the free end of the hook being bent "inward suffieientl'y to revent disengagement of hook and gate un er the action of the 'wei'ghtlof the intermediate portion ofthe gate," but insufficient to prevent such disengagement when the gate is rendered ma ma means carried by the free end of a hook member for inserting "the gate within "the member, said means having an extended riding'face for the'gate,' said face being substantially free from depression, and a separate device carriedby' said latter? post for retaining the gate fiired 2. The combination with gate posts, of a flexible gate having a hinged connection with one of the posts, and means carried by the other post for retaining the gate in closed position, said means comprising one or more permanently positioned hookshaped members, each member having the axis of its hook opening in parallelism with the axis of the post, the free end of the hook being bent inward sufficiently to prevent disengagement of hook and gate under the action of the weight of the intermediate portion of the gate, but insuflicient to prevent such disengagement when the gate is rendered taut, a separate device carried by said latter post for retaining the gate in fixed position when closed, and means carried by the free end of a hook member for in serting the gate within the member.

- 3. The combination with gate posts, of a flexible gate having a hinged connection with one of the posts, and means carried by the other post for retaining the gate in closed position, said means comprising one or more permanently positioned hookshaped members, each member having the axis of its hook opening in parallelism with the axis of the post, the free end of the hook being bent inward suiiiciently to prevent disengagement of hook and gate under the action of the weight of the intermediate portion of the gate, but insufficient to prevent such disengagement when the gate is rendered taut, a separate device carried by said latter post for retaining the gate in fixed position when closed, and means carried by the free end of a hook member for inserting the gate within the member, said means being normally out of contact with the gate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of June 1908.

STEPHEN R. LEONARD. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

